VC announces plans to enhance quality at UG

VICE-CHANCELLOR (VC) of the University of Guyana (UG), Professor Jacob Opadeyi, yesterday, announced plans to enhance the quality of academic programming at the institution. He told the media, in the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT) on the Turkeyen Campus, that this would be achieved through improving the offerings, quality of staff and building a strong partnership with the private sector.
Speaking at his first press conference since taking office on February 11, Mr. Opadeyi said the improvements will include a review of the curriculum once every five years and the appointment of external examiners and reviewers for academic programmes.
A functioning quality assurance unit will also be established before the end of this year, he said, while expressing hopes to have all the academic programmes at UG internationally accredited.
Opadeyi further said his hope is to upgrade the students’ assessment of lecturers system and establish a staff/student liaison committee in each department of the university.
He said there will be a faculty advisory board, as well, which will meet once per year and a health and safety committee for each faculty that would receive training in health and safety.
According to him, by the end of this year, there will be on time release of examination results to the students by way of the UG Website.
About improving the quality of staff, Opadeyi said they must have something that the students do not have.

OPPORTUNITIES
This will be done by increasing the opportunities for lecturers to secure Masters and Doctorate qualifications, through collaborating with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to offer instructional development courses to them.
The VC said there will be, too, an enhanced and speeded up assessment and promotion system of academic staff and the creation of a peer review and mentoring process.
Opadeyi emphasised the importance of building a strong relationship with the private sector, as the university cannot rely solely on the government.
Such a relationship, he explained, will include support to conduct short courses and training workshops, commercialisation of research and grant funding for primary research.
Opadeyi indicated that support is also needed from the private sector for improving campus life through establishing concessionaires such as eateries, a supermarket and a pharmacy, as well as building of park benches across the compound.
He also proposed the creation of a musical band, a student activity centre and day care centre, as well as support, from the private sector in establishing endowed chairs in rice and rum production and agricultural economics, among others.
Opadeyi said UG will seek, too, to better its relations with the wider community through give-back programmes, open lectures twice per year and idea forums seven times per year with support from the private sector.
Efforts would also be made to renew the UG radio licence and seek support for the UG television programme ‘UG today’ for 30 minutes per week.

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